Story 7

I remember that in my childhood I was devout, rising for prayer at night, passionate about piety and self-denial. One night I sat beside my father, may God have mercy on him, and I did not close my eyes the whole night, holding the precious Quran in my arms while a group of people slept around us. I said to my father: Not one of these people lifts his head to say even a couple of prayers. They are so lost in the sleep of neglect, you would think they were not sleeping but dead. He said: My dear son, it would be better if you slept too, rather than fall into slandering other people. The one who makes accusations sees no one but himself, for a curtain of vanity hangs before his eyes. If they granted you the eye that sees as God sees, you would find no one more helpless than yourself.